Love Inspired Suspense June 2015 #1

by Margaret Daley

  With her arms behind her, she couldn’t reach it to see what it felt like. She scooted and rocked until she managed to sit up on the backseat. “Where are we?” She needed information and the only one that had that was Carly.

  “We’re on I-95. Once I dispose of you, I’ll make my escape. I have it all figured out, and if I can’t escape, you’re going to be my bargaining chip.” Carly exited the highway. “But I don’t think I’ll have a problem. I’ve got a boat ready to take me wherever I want to go if I couldn’t stop you from looking into Saul’s death. Why didn’t you leave it alone?”

  “Did you kill Saul?”

  “Duh. Yes. He tried to blackmail me. I wouldn’t allow that. He should have known that. If I take bribes to sway the senator’s point of view, then I wouldn’t think twice about protecting my cash cow.”

  “Cash cow?”

  “My job. Once I made chief of staff and became indispensable to the senator, I started planning ways to make money. There are a lot of lobbyists out there that have no problem paying for a vote, but with Senator Eagleton, that wasn’t going to happen. One of the few men of integrity. So when I was paid off, I used any means I could to persuade the senator the way I needed. I worked hard for that money and no one was going to take it away from me.”

  “And that worked?” Selena tried to figure out where they were, but it was pitch-dark. From the headlights she glimpsed thick woods on both sides of the country road.

  “About eighty percent of the time. Enough for me to stash a couple of million over a three-year span.”

  Selena squinted her eyes and kept her gaze trained on the landscape out the window. If she could manage to get away from Carly, she needed to know her whereabouts. “How did Saul find out?”

  “He overheard an exchange with one of my best clients. He was going to blow the whistle on both of us if I didn’t pay him.” Carly pulled off the country highway onto an unpaved rougher road. “Even if they find this SUV, I’ll be long gone by then.”

  “How? Walking?”

  “Oh, no. I’ve got a motorcycle waiting for me.”

  “So you attacked me and shot my uncle?”

  “Yes. No one asked me for an alibi. I had one for one of the times just in case. I took a lesson from Saul and blackmailed a client to provide it.” Carly went off-road and parked. “Time for the next part of my plan.” She exited the front seat and opened the back door nearest Selena. “I’m untying your feet, but don’t try to get away. I have a gun and won’t hesitate to use it, especially when I think of all the trouble you’ve caused me.”

  The interior light illuminated the weapon Carly stuffed in her pants’ waistband. When had she changed? What time was it? “Where are we going?”

  “To your grave.”

  *

  “The SUV is stolen?” Nicholas asked Fiona on the other end of the phone call.

  Everyone in the dining room quieted. The area had become the command center for the manhunt for Selena. The guests had left and law-enforcement officers were arriving. The senator had called in every favor he could think of to get as much help as possible.

  “The vehicle doesn’t belong to Carly Jones,” Fiona said in a voice full of concern.

  “But I’ve seen her driving it the past week.”

  “She stole it from one of her neighbors who is still on vacation to throw us off. I have a call in to them in Bermuda. The hotel said they went to dinner. They are checking to see if the couple is in one of their restaurants. As soon as I hear from them, I’ll let you know. In the meantime, we are searching a ton of traffic-cam footage to see which way Carly went when she left the estate.”

  “Thanks. I know you are doing what you can. The general has computers being set up in here.” When he hung up, he realized everyone was waiting for him to report what he’d discovered. “As you heard, the vehicle wasn’t registered to Carly. It’s her neighbors’ SUV, and they are out of the country, so it hadn’t been reported stolen.”

  “Can it be tracked?” General Meyer asked.

  “Don’t know. Fiona will find out. In the meantime, we look the old-fashioned way. I’m grateful for traffic cameras. They might be able to spot the car and track it.”

  Nicholas noticed the senator backing out of the dining room. His pallor concerned Nicholas. They were going to find Selena. He wouldn’t rest until they did, but he didn’t want her to return to find her uncle sick.

  Margaret Meyer’s gaze moved from Nicholas’s to the senator’s and back. “Go talk to him. This has got to be a reminder of when Erin disappeared. I have everything under control in here.”

  “But what if—”

  “I’ll let you know,” the general interrupted, “if we find the car on one of the roads. In fact, we’ve got too many people on this. We’re stumbling over each other.” Then she turned away and went to speak with Dan Calvert and a few other Secret Service agents, who were there at the request of the president.

  Nicholas found Selena’s uncle in the living room, the furniture still arranged as it had been for the fund-raiser. He stood in front of the fireplace, staring at an empty grate as though a fire was blazing.

  “Sir, are you all right?”

  Senator Eagleton lifted his head and peered at Nicholas with eyes full of sorrow. “I can’t go through this again. Erin is still missing. What if we never find her or Selena?”

  Nicholas approached the older man, whose hands shook until he finally stuffed them in his pockets. “We will find both of them. I won’t stop looking until we do. This time we know about the getaway vehicle and the person who took Selena. She only had a ten-or fifteen-minute head start before we started searching.”

  “I should have known Carly was capable of this. I trusted her with everything.”

  “And your knowledge of Carly can help us. Think about your conversations with her, especially in the last months. Is there a place she might go to hide? It could even belong to a friend.”

  The senator returned his gaze to the empty grate, his shoulders hunched forward. “I don’t know. Maybe. I can’t think.” He glanced at Nicholas. “I’ve seen how you and Selena are. You care about her—she’s more to you than just another assignment. How can you be so calm?”

  “Because I have to be. I refuse to think we won’t rescue her. The Lord is with her, protecting her until I can get there.” In that second, he realized he loved Selena, and all he could do at the moment was put her in God’s hands.

  “But life doesn’t work that way.” The senator kneaded his nape. “What if…”

  “Sir, I can’t let worry take me down, or I won’t be ready when I need to be.” He laid his hand on the senator’s shoulder. “Sit down and let’s go through conversations you’ve had with Carly. How about the last vacation she took? Where did she go? What does she like?”

  He thought a minute then replied, “The water. She always goes to the beach. In fact, a friend of hers has a boat.”

  “Do you remember where? Who she was talking about?”

  “I don’t know. I can’t remember.”

  “Close your eyes and think back to when she told you about the boat.”

  Nicholas slipped into the chair across from Selena’s uncle. There were so many marinas in Maryland and Virginia.

  “It’s not coming.”

  “Give it time. Relax. Don’t force it.” He’d used this technique many times in the past with witnesses. He prayed it would work this time. But he was struggling to keep his doubts from surfacing.

  Lord, I need You. Give me peace to do what I need to do.

  The general sat forward, snapping his fingers. “Virginia Beach.”

  “Okay. We can investigate the marinas…”

  The general appeared in the entrance to the living room. “The SUV pulled off I-95 at Exit 152 near Prince William Forest. We think she’s headed toward Highway 234.”

  “That’s a big area.” Nicholas rose. “But we can get the team down there and begin searching for the SUV. At least it’s
something to do and a start.”

  “Yes. I’ve called Gavin, and he’s mobilizing the team.”

  Nicholas strode toward the foyer where Max was. “We’re on our way. I’ll call Gavin, and maybe before I get there, Fiona will know if the vehicle can be tracked.”

  “I’m coming with you,” the senator said as he stood.

  Nicholas paused. “No, sir. I’m taking the helicopter that brought some of the White House Secret Service agents here. To put it bluntly, you’ll slow Max and me down. I’ll call you when I know something. Sir, see if you can remember the name of the person with the boat. Then we can locate the marina. If this is a dead end, we’ll have that lead.” At least Selena’s uncle wouldn’t be sitting around, waiting. He had something to do.

  “I’ll have a highway patrol officer meet you at the 152 exit.” The general gestured for Nicholas to leave. “I’ll keep you company, Preston.”

  Nicholas exited the house with Max, and in minutes he was in the air, heading for the national forest. He pictured the last time he’d seen Selena before she’d gone to the dining room. Their gazes had linked across the expanse of the living room. At that moment it had been tough to keep his professional facade in place. All he’d wanted to do was be alone with her.

  *

  In the dark forest, the only illumination Selena had was the flashlight Carly wore on her head. In one of Carly’s hands she held her gun and in the other a shovel. Selena stumbled over something in the middle of a trail and went down on her knees. Without the use of her arms, which were tied behind her back, she barely caught herself from falling forward.”

  “Keep moving. We’re almost there. Remember, if you try anything, I’ll shoot you in the leg to keep you from escaping and then drag you to the spot I made for you.”

  Selena contemplated “trying anything.” Maybe someone would hear the shot and investigate. That might be her only chance. The darkness could be used to her advantage. As she ran through one scenario after another, Carly grasped Selena’s arm, causing her to stop, then shoved her into the underbrush on the side of the trail.

  “This way. A couple of hundred yards and you’ll meet your fate.”

  “The police will come after you. Why not run now? Leave me here. No one is around. I’m lost. I won’t find help before you get away.”

  Carly laughed, a chilling sound in the cold air. “Sure. Do you want me to untie your hands first?” She used the handle of the shovel to poke her in the back. “Move!”

  When Carly’s light shone on a spot a few feet away, a small clearing, Selena knew they had arrived. In the middle there was a pile of dirt.

  Another nudge with the shovel and Selena came out of the thick forest. Carly illuminated the area. The sight of a hole in the ground about the size of a body sent a wave of panic through Selena.

  *

  As Nicholas climbed from the helicopter near where a highway-patrol officer waited at Exit 152 off I-95, his cell phone rang. Seeing who was calling, he quickly answered it. “Did you find anything, Fiona? I’m almost at the forest.”

  “Yes. The neighbor called me back and gave me the information to track his SUV. They had a tracking device put on it when they bought it.”

  “And?”

  “I know where the car is parked right now. Off Highway 234 on an unpaved road, not for public use. I’ve got a forest ranger heading there to open the gates in case they aren’t. You’ll probably be there before him. I imagine Carly somehow opened them because the SUV isn’t far past the second gate.”

  “Thanks. Let the captain know, so whoever is already here can head toward the area. Max and I will track them from the SUV.” Unless they’re in the vehicle. That thought made him rethink what he should do. “How far from the second gate?”

  “It’s hard to tell exactly, but not far.”

  He shook hands with the highway-patrol officer and climbed into the front seat with Max in the back.

  “Nicholas, you’ll pass an RV campground,” Fiona continued. “The turnoff is about a half a mile farther on your left.”

  “I’ll let you know what I find.” Nicholas ended his call with Fiona and relayed the information to the highway-patrol officer.

  “I know that road. It’s Spriggs Fire Lane,” the Virginia state trooper said and pulled onto Highway 234. “It’s not too far.”

  Fifteen minutes later, wearing night-vision goggles, Nicholas exited the patrol car, put Max on his leash and walked through the second open gate, leaving the officer to coordinate the others who would arrive shortly. He spied the SUV off the road. Gun in hand, he approached the dark vehicle and searched it to make sure Carly or Selena weren’t around. Empty. He wasn’t sure if he was relieved or not.

  “Your turn, Max.” Nicholas gave his dog the blouse to smell. “Find Selena.”

  *

  Selena stared into the hole at a coffin.

  “Get in it. I’m giving you a chance to be saved if they get to you before the air runs out. You’re my bargaining chip.” Carly waved the gun at Selena. She stared at the woman, realizing that she wouldn’t see Nicholas again. She cared for him more than she ever had another. These emotions stirring in her were so different than anything she’d ever experienced. She wanted to explore them more in depth.

  “I said, get in the coffin. Now.”

  “No.”

  “That isn’t a choice.” Carly charged Selena so fast it took her by surprise.

  Carly contacted with Selena and sent her flying down into the pit. Her head hit against the side of the coffin and her sight blurred. Before she could scramble from it, the top slammed down while the darkness spun. A loud thump struck the wooden casket as if Carly had jumped down on top of it. Quickly, Carly hammered against the lid to keep it shut, causing shock waves of sound to thunder through Selena’s mind.

  I can’t lose consciousness. Please, Lord, help me. Somehow.

  FOURTEEN

  A crashing sound echoed through the trees up ahead. Max kept going forward through the thick vegetation. Nicholas tried to speculate what the noise was, but he finally pushed it away and focused instead on getting to Selena before she was killed.

  Through the eerie green of his view, he saw Carly jump into a hole. He increased his pace as much as he could without making noise. He needed to surprise the woman and prayed Selena was alive in the hole, the length of a grave. A pounding sound reverberated through the air. A few yards ahead of him, Max flew out of the underbrush toward Carly, her head visible above the ground.

  “Get her,” Nicholas shouted, lifting his gun.

  Carly screamed.

  When Nicholas planted himself at the edge of the grave, his weapon aimed downward, he found Max’s mouth clamped around Carly’s arm with the revolver. She lay on a coffin, a hammer by her feet.

  “Get him off me.”

  “As soon as you let go of the gun.”

  Carly complied, and the weapon fell between the coffin and the dirt wall. Max was between Carly and the gun.

  “Max, loose it. I’ve got her, boy.” His K-9 partner dropped Carly’s arm. “Where is Selena?” he demanded of Carly. “In the coffin?”

  Flat on her back, Carly glared at him.

  “Find Selena, Max.”

  His rottweiler scratched at the coffin at the same time Nicholas heard banging from beneath Carly. “I’m in here. Help.”

  “I’m here, Selena. I’ll get you out.” Then to Carly he said, “Climb out and lie facedown on the ground. One wrong move and I’ll sic Max on you with no regrets.”

  Carly followed his order. As soon as the woman was lying on the ground, he pulled out his handcuffs and secured her.

  “Guard her,” Nicholas said then lowered himself into the hole, took the hammer and pulled the nails out of the wood.

  When he lifted the lid, Selena launched herself into his arms, shaking against him.

  He had so many things to say to her, but that would have to wait until Carly was taken care of. He gave her a quick kiss the
n climbed from the hole and turned to help Selena out of her grave.

  He stared into her beautiful features. “How are you?”

  “I have one killer headache. Carly pushed me in and I hit my head, but that’s nothing now. You saved me.”

  “I was only doing my job.” He took out his cell and couldn’t get reception. “We need to walk back to the Tahoe. There’s a highway-patrol officer with a radio. You need medical attention.”

  “I’m fine. Really. And the best part is, I know why Carly killed Saul Rather. Greg will be freed soon.”

  *

  The prison door opened, and Greg Littleton appeared in the exit. He looked around, saw Selena and Nicholas and waved. Bag in hand, the freed man hurried toward her and Nicholas. The sight of Greg’s smile made her heart sing.

  Selena watched as Greg cut the distance between them. “I can’t believe this day is finally here. This is the best feeling.”

  “I agree,” Nicholas said.

  Greg stopped in front of Selena with a huge grin on his face. “I’ll never be able to thank you two enough for what you did for me. I tried to convince everyone I was innocent, but no one would listen.” He took Selena’s hand. “Until Mr. Jeffries, then you.”

  Selena gave Greg a hug. “I’m so glad the truth finally came out.”

  “How did you two solve the case? I’ve heard some of it on the news.” Greg swung his attention from Selena to Nicholas.

  “It was mostly Selena. She got Carly Jones to tell her why she killed Saul Rather.”

  Greg’s forehead furrowed. “Why would the woman confess to you?”

  “Because she was going to kill me and she wanted me to know why.” Selena glanced at Nicholas. “But he saved me.” In the coffin, as Carly had hammered it shut, all Selena could do was pray and give in to the Lord. She wasn’t going to get out of her situation without help, and Nicholas was the help the Lord had sent her. Thank You, God.

  “As Senator Eagleton’s chief of staff, Carly had been accepting bribes for several years and Saul found out,” Nicholas explained to Greg. “He was blackmailing her, so she killed him. When she heard about the argument the evening before between you and Saul, she used that to frame you. Saul was meeting her for his first payoff, instead she shot him and fled as you came into the parking garage.” Nicholas smiled at Selena. “She wouldn’t stop digging deeper even when Carly came after her at the Easter Egg Roll and in the White House underground parking.”